[The Editors' Verdict] The 'Blind Election' Returning to the Past

[Asia Economy Jeong Wanju, Deputy Director and Political Chief] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to rage, the 21st National Assembly general election is now just a week away.

Due to the unprecedented infectious disease crisis, people's livelihoods and the economy are almost facing collapse. As a result, enthusiasm and interest in the election are relatively bleak. The expressions of voters and the faces of candidates are hidden behind masks. The rhythms and slogans that usually boost the election atmosphere have also disappeared.

This general election can be described in one word as a 'blind' election. While the impact of COVID-19 played a role, much of it is due to the political circles themselves. It is difficult to find proper policy debates or manifesto contests.

There is no vision or blueprint for the future. There are no alternatives to overcome the social, economic, and cultural upheavals and chaos that will come like a tsunami after COVID-19. They are just making a fuss about distributing disaster relief funds, relying on meager votes. What kind of measure or future vision is filling a dam with holes?

Theories of 'judging the regime' or 'judging the opposition party' also do not resonate. The judgment theory has long disappeared from the public's concerns. People have become indifferent, exhausted by their harsh daily lives.

The act of creating proportional satellite parties that go back and forth between loopholes and illegality to appeal for votes is a mess in the political world. It is no different from treating voters as fools. This is because they still believe in the customary law that, like the movie "Even If I Hate You, Once More," people will vote anyway.

Looking back at the 20th general election, it brought several significant changes. A clear example is the fading of the chronic problem of regionalism. The Democratic Party won two seats in Daegu, and the Saenuri Party, the predecessor of the United Future Party, won two seats in Honam. In Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (PK), the Democratic Party broke through the traditional Saenuri Party stronghold and won 10 seats.

Honam was the same. The People's Party caused a storm in Honam, which was a stronghold of the Democratic Party. They won 23 out of 28 seats. The previously unbreakable two-party structure transformed into a multi-party system, changing the political landscape.

What about now? Old habits are being revived. The ghost of regionalism is resurrecting, and the multi-party system is converging back into a two-party structure. The surprises in Honam and Daegu-Gyeongbuk regions may be hard to witness in this election. In the closely contested PK, the Democratic Party is lowering its profile. Honam is almost set to be monopolized by the Democratic Party. The semi-proportional representation system, introduced to correct the drawbacks of winner-takes-all, has degenerated into a tool for the two major parties to manipulate seat numbers. The original purpose of reflecting diverse public opinions has been thrown into the trash bin.

Factional logic has further fueled extreme confrontations in the political world. The so-called 'Moonbba,' the vanguard of the pro-Moon Jae-in faction, turned politics into fandom. If opinions differed, they divided people into 'enemies' and 'allies.' The conservative opposition party, which lacks the ability to present alternatives, repeatedly parrots outdated security rhetoric and failed past policies, focusing on 'asphalt' politics.

In this situation, the people are forced to vote. The meaning of exercising the 'precious one vote' has practically faded. It is difficult to gauge what that precious vote will truly be for. They are in a position where they are unilaterally forced to choose.

The 20th National Assembly, which earned the worst-ever stigma as the 'animal National Assembly,' may come back to life like a zombie through this election. We are forced to choose, but we still must choose. It is a matter of finding the lesser evil, not the best. No matter how blind the election field is, no matter how much old habits prevail, no matter how there are no alternatives for the future. What can be done when that is the right and destiny of voters? We can only hope that this election becomes a lawful and reasonable means in accordance with law and reason.